ComplaintsforDECA, Inc

• Initial Complaint

  12/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I viewed a rental property in Wentzville, MO through DECA and then applied to be a renter for this same property. The application cost me $50 for myself and $50 for my cosigner. After spending the $100 and giving them my pay stubs, and all my rental and credit history 1 month ago, I have yet to hear back. They state that they will follow up with notification of approval or denial within 5-7 days of applying and I never heard anything. This was a complete scam that took all of my personal & financial information, as well as my $100.

  

  Business response

  12/21/2022

  We utilize a third-party tenant screening service by the name of ******** ********. ********* application was sent to them on November 14, 2022. ******** ******** notified us on November 18th that they had made “multiple attempts to complete verification but had been unsuccessful – no response received from applicant”. We sent ******* the following message on November 21st “good afternoon, I have received your completed report from our processing company ******** ********. However, in order to complete the application process, I am in need of additional information. 1. Rental Verification: ******** ******** has made multiple attempts to contact your landlord with no success. Please have your landlord give ******** ******** a call at ************ to complete this verification. Please let me know if you have any questions”. We did not hear back from ******* so we closed their application.

  Customer response

  12/21/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I made multiple attempts to call, email and leave voicemails over a 3 week period and never received a reponse in any form. My landlord sent the needed documentation the day it was requested. DECA is an absolute joke and I'm thankful you never got back to me so I didn't make the mistake of getting stuck in a lease with such a clown company. I have let all my contacts in Missouri know never to rent from DECA management and to look closely at every rental to make sure no further money is wasted on your crap show. 
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ********

• Initial Complaint

  02/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  So we paid **** ******** ********** to rent one of their properties in imperial mo we are currently getting ready to go to a small claims court because we didn’t stay there a total of a full month and paid close to 4000 we left due to a privacy/harassment issue with them basically watching/stalking us the short period of time we were in the property all I want is 1397 back they can keep rest I feel like that’s more than fair

  

  Business response

  02/09/2022

  The tenants signed a lease commencing on 8/20/21 which states, “Tenant may not keep pets on the Premises without the prior written consent of Landlord. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this Lease, in the event of a violation of this paragraph, Tenant shall be subject to an immediate fine in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and Tenant shall immediately remove such unauthorized pet from the Premises and, should Tenant fail to immediately do so such failure may, in Landlord’s sole discretion, be deemed a default under the Lease.”  In addition, on their rental application for residency they indicated “NO” to “Has the applicant have or place to have pets.”  Shortly after moving in, we were notified by the neighbor (who is a friend of the property owner) that the tenants had multiple dogs.  The tenants got rid of the dogs but indicated that they no longer felt safe and wanted to move.  Attached is documentation of the conversation between the property manager, Angela, and the tenant, *****.  

  Customer response

  02/09/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: they told us that the company did a drive by to check the area and saw the dogs they didn’t tell us we were being watched by the neighbors which validates our privacy concern being that the neighbors were good friends with the owner doesn’t mean they can watch us also the neighbors or the business tried to enter the property when we weren’t home to see if pets were still there I’m sure the owner gave the neighbors the access code which validates the privacy even more I’m not sure where we signed stating they can keep all the funds because we meant the security deposit not anything else glad to know the neighbors informed the owner when they said they do drive bys to check the property 

  
  

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *******

  

  Business response

  02/11/2022

  ***** and *******,
  
  We have documented communication between you and **** ******** ********** on September 3rd and 4th of 2021 confirming/admitting that the no pet policy term of the lease was violated (see attached).  Per the lease agreement you both signed:
  
  “28. EARLY TERMINATION: Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, Tenant may terminate this Lease prior to the expiration of the Term (an “Early Termination”) by giving Landlord at least one full rental period written notice in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 8 hereof. Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, in the event of an Early Termination by Tenant, Tenant shall pay to Landlord, in addition to the payment of Rent and all other amounts due under this Lease as of the effective date of the Early Termination, an amount equal to three (3) month’s Rent (the “Early Termination Fee”). In addition to the payments required under this Lease, Landlord may elect to deduct the Early Termination Fee from the Security Deposit. Nothing in this Paragraph 29 shall be construed to limit the right of Landlord to recover actual damages in excess of the Security Deposit. Except for the payment of the Early Termination Fee, an Early Termination of the Lease by Tenant shall otherwise be treated and subject to the provisions of Paragraph 28 as if the Term of the Lease ended without default.”
  
  As you can see, you were not charged the full termination fee because the owner of the property was willing and agreed for you to terminate early under the terms posted in our software’s conversations which stated: 
  
  “*****, The owner is willing to allow you to vacate prior to the lease expiration. We would require the following: 1. move out and turn in keys prior September 30th. 2. forfeit deposit and rents paid to date. 3. upon receiving keys we will perform the move out inspection. It is REQUIRED that there are no damages to the property at the move out inspection, we will then sign a mutual lease termination agreement. Please let me know if you have any questions.”
  
  In which ***** responded, “Thank you guys for understanding this isnt personal I just dont want to live like Im being watched.”
  
  The lease does not stipulate ways in which a lease violation can be observed. No laws were broken.  When the NO pet term of the lease was broken Deca took action and you cooperated.  You then requested to break your lease early and agreed to the above stated terms and turned in your keys 9/30/21.   
  
  We feel as if we were very fair with your early termination.    

• Initial Complaint

  02/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have lived with Deca for 2 years and paid rent faithfully. When I first moved in (from out of state no less) the apartmentwas absolutely filthy. I could not move ANYTHING in before scrubbingevery last surface. I even found a diety band aid holding a broke window pane together. After a 16 hour drive with a uhaul full of my things, this is the very last thing I wanted to do. But I said nothing because the apartment had great bones and was affordable. In this 2 year time they have been very unprofessional and rude. They have ignored maintenance requests, processed maintenance requests incorrectly, torn apart bathroom walls to fix a leak that never ended up stopping, in addition they will not fix major repairs such as needing a new roof, a leaking water main, and tuckpointing issues. The maintenance staff is extremely rude as well. From the office persons to the techs, they have no empathy nor people skills. They came into my apartment with no notice while my boyfriend was there for a covid quarantine. They have added maintenance requests to my neighbors apartment instead of mime, causing interruptions in both of our days. In addition, they asked for a 36% rent increase. When I brought up all the issues to them, they said the owner was not going to fix them but the rent increase would NOT be adjusted either. I feel pressured out of my home and disrespected by this company. If the owner is the one calling the shots, why does deca keep them as a client? Why does deca not require the properties they manage to be safe and healthy? I feel taken advantage of because I have paid my rent faithfully but they have not kept up their end of the bargain. I am starting to doubt the legality of this situation and am wondering if this building would even pass an occupancy inspection or if it was ever inspected in the first place.

  

  Business response

  02/10/2022

  The city of St. Louis issued a certificate of Inspection (attached) on 12/26/2019, prior to your move in.  In addition our team did a large make ready which included detail cleaning costing over $3,000 which was completed on 12/23/2019.  You applied for the property without viewing it in person and chose to sign a lease based on pictures.  Attached is the disclosure signed by you acknowledging you have not viewed the property, which we highly encourage is done prior to signing a lease.  The move in walk through was completed by our field representative and you were not present due to moving from out of the area.  Attached are pictures from the move in walk through showing the condition of the unit.  We have not ignored any maintenance requests.  Here is a breakdown:
  
  2/17/22, received email with a list of concerns.  That exact day, we entered a work order to have the items assessed and provide the owner a bid and to get approval.  The majority of the repairs were approved and we started making the necessary repairs on 3/9/2020. 
  5/7/2020, work order for oven not shutting off.  Vendor, *** ******** *********, was dispatched and replaced the over thermostat
  5/18/2020, work order due to the kitchen sink not draining.  Vendor, ****** ***** *******, was dispatched and cabled the line
  5/27/2020 due to a drain pipe hanging loose and gutters not draining properly.  Work order was complete 5/28/2020
  2/26/2021, a work order was created for a few minor plumbing issues which were repaired but in addition the tenant was trying to install a bidet and it caused the shut off valve to leak.  We received a bid from ********* ******** to have this repaired but the owner did not want to take action at this time. 
  6/10/2021, work order created for light flickering.  Work order was completed on 6/21/2021
  8/11/2021, work order created for chain that controls the valve in toilet is corroded.  8/18/2021 we replaced the toilet handle.
  
  Per the property management agreement with the owner, “No improvement, alterations or repair work costing more then $500 per occurrence shall be made by REALTOR without prior written or verbal authorization of owner.” 
  
  During COVID, and still to date, we ask every tenant if they have (or anyone else in the home) currently has COVID, symptoms or recently exposed in order to protect our staff.
  
  Rent increases are based on the market and per the property owners discretion. 
  

  Customer response

  02/10/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  I am aware I moved into the property before viewing it. I acknowledge I signed the lease. I am questioning the legality of continuing residency in a home that has an uncontrolled leak. In addition, there are several maintenance orders in there that I did not place for ***** ********. I alerted deca of the leak as soon as it was noticed, which was months after I moved in. I did not see any water marks or staining when I first moved in and first saw the basement. It was not active at that time. I did however notice it when I went to view the plumbing after discovering my toilet water supply shut off did not work. I understand there are contracts in place with the homeowner about repairs over 500 dollars. However, I see it as unsafe and unhealthy to have a leak that cannot be stopped left unrepaired. I feel it is unfair to charge a 36% rent increase on a property that is in a state of disrepair. I believe it is abusive and potentially illegal. If Deca cared about the health and safety of its tenants, it would demand repair of things such as an uncontrollable leak or they should remove the homeowner from their clientele.
  

  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

  

  Business response

  02/14/2022

  ******,
  
  The main water shut off to the building located in the unfinished basement needs repair, but it is still currently functioning and not causing any threat to the structural integrity of the building or to the health of the occupants. This repair will be addressed at the property owner’s discretion.
  
  The lease on your apartment is scheduled to terminate February 28, 2022.  On January 12, 2022, a lease renewal was sent to you with the option to renew at an increased rental amount which reflects current market rate or terminate tenancy.  You did reach out to Deca to inquire as to the reason for the increase and you indicated there were better places available for the proposed rent and you asked if the owner would consider a lower amount.  The owner was not willing to reduce the rent rate. As a result, on 1/28/22 you gave written notice to vacate the premise at your lease expiration on 2/28/22.  This follows the term of your lease for proper notice the vacate.  The move out inspection has been scheduled for March 1, 2022 and Deca will then follow the procedure for the security deposit determination per Missouri law.

• Initial Complaint

  10/21/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Summer 2021 $20.00-100.00 affordable housing, enabling me to use disability and hud The outrageous amount of application fee only to be denied because of income which was verified for the property of my choice also because of a misleading reference the decision was based off of misleading information The company has not tried to resolve the problem below is a screen shot of a tenant app showcasing my credentials are satisfactory for leasing a property with a rated C credit score, no evictions, no criminal records

  

  Business response

  10/23/2021

  Our rental criteria is posted online for everyone to review prior to applying.  You acknowledged that you read and understood the criteria when you applied.  The rental criteria clearly states the amount of income needed to qualify and has an entire section on rental history qualifications.  If you call the phone number on the adverse action letter that was mailed on 8/9/2021 you will be able to obtain a copy of your credit report which shows an eviction filed on 12/11/2006 and 5/9/2007.  In addition, we spoke to your landlord, ****, who you rented from June 30, 2019-June 30, 2021 who stated there was property damage, delay in payments, issues with communicating in regards to rent and mentioned an argument about a check.  Based on multiple occurrences, you did not qualify.  This is why we put our criteria out there and it is very transparent so you do not waste your time or money.  As far as the image (screen shot), we have no idea what that pertains to.  It is dated 10/18/2021 and has the address of the property we do not manage.  We closed your filed on 8/9.  

  Customer response

  10/25/2021

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  Based on your rental criteria I am the perfect candidate to become a tenant this is what screen shot states. It is a credit report that I filled for tenant background screening. When I spoke to one of the representative at your company it was stated that my income was the reason I did not get approved and because of previous landlord reference. I provided additional income to match the rate via email, I also provided police reports and copies of conversations with my previous landlord of 10101 Coburg Lands. The emails state the landlord stolen multiple check's that she did not want to be responsible for and had not responded appropriately to repairs that needed to be done while living in the home from June 2019-2021. As for evictions, no I did not receive a letter of adverse action to my credit report. I spoke with Deca majority over the phone or via email so I was not expecting any letter in the mail because none of your representatives let me know that I could solicit such information. The screen shot is data collected from Transunion which states I have no evictions. In 2006/2007 that is beyond the limit of any credit discrepancies on a bureau report, after 7 years debts are required to fall off unless bankruptcies' and student loans. I have rented multiple places since then including the one in question and not any of the property managers have contacted me regarding evictions because like the screen shot states from Transunion I have none. I am also well aware of my rights and responsibilities I am very active with my credit score and report, I have never noticed a statement of being evicted. I states this on the application submitted to you. You may also contact 

  ******** *******, M.Ed, IBCLC
  ****** ***** ************* **** ***** ************ *** ****** ** ***** ******** ************ ******** ***** ****** ************

   

  regarding the situations dealing with my previous landlord of ***** ****** *****, she has spoken with my landlord on several occasions regarding rent discrepancies and home repairs to which I am not responsible for the negative outcomes of either one. 

   

  As I stated before the purpose of the credit score/ application fee charged by Deca was not applicable in your decision of (me) ******* ****** becoming a tenant. I have no evictions, my rent is always on time and paid in full, I am not responsible for previous landlords duties. 

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  

  Business response

  10/26/2021

  You are more than welcome to call Resident Research for a copy of your credit report.  We had reason to deny your application.  Attached is a screen shot from your credit report and a screen shot of the  landlord verification we completed in 8/2021.  Both of these fall into the category of not qualifying per our renal criteria. 

  Customer response

  10/27/2021

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  The attached screen shots states that the **** was not a good property manager and I have provided you with proof as well as a referral to prove this. I contacted **** multiple times regarding repairs at ***** ****** *****, the email shows I contacted her in October 2020 regarding dishwasher; stove and she did not even make any attempts until March 2021. My child and I were without a working stove at this property for a total of nine months until my lease ended. So her referral I object because I paid my rent on time all the time, the property was well taken care of, not damaged but normal ware. **** also refused to do a walk through as well.

   

  I have no evictions anything beyond the 7 year period I can dispute but is considered null because there is no balance, and it states on your screenshot that courts threw it out without penalty. 

   

  I am requesting a refund of the application fee or resubmission of application. I explained to the Deca representative I have no evictions, given the opportunity to dispute this I would have been approved if that was the only reason for denial. Also provided Deca detail information regarding unstable previous landlord.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

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